ONE of only two performance classes to be staged at the RDS this year, the three-year-old young event horse showcase also offers the biggest prize fund. With €5,000 heading the way of the winner, and a further €1,500 awarded to the breeder, it has become one of the most coveted titles of the week.

It is now two years since Gareth Carlisle and MT Star Lux lifted the title, and having qualified again with another out of the same mare, Carlisle will be looking to make it a double. He picked up his ticket at Kernan’s Equestrian centre, while the other qualifying venues around the country were Top Flight Equestrian Centre in Kilkenny, the Co Clare showgrounds in Ennis, and the equestrian centres at Ross House and Tubberbride. All 15 finalists came under the scrutiny of Vina Buller, and at the time of writing next week’s judge is yet to be confirmed.

The format is unchanged, with the 50 opening marks awarded to conformation, and also the movement in walk and trot. The remaining 100 marks are awarded on the quality of canter, the scope, technique and athleticism of the jump as well as the standard of presentation, potential and suitability.

With just four exceptions, the 15 entrants are by continentally bred sport horse sires, while the dams are also bred on similar lines.

Kicking off the proceedings is Gareth Carlisle who is represented once again with a progeny of his mare Lux So Easy (Lux Z) and this time by the Holsteiner sire Cazaan. A young family, the eldest is the 2019 winner MT Star who is based in England with show jumping rider Jessie Drea.

The Co Laois partnership Imelda Dillon and Austin Quigley bring forward a home-bred son of Capri Van Overis who is the first foal out of Clarkes Shadow Jumper (Creevagh Ferro). The winner of his qualifier at Top Flight, this gelding is out of a lightly jumped mare and boasts a pedigree featuring the influential VDL Douglas.

Another graduate from Top Flight is Dan Galvan’s Covan, a home-bred gelding by Cobra 18 out of the thoroughbred mare Alexandra Bering. This is the sole thoroughbred bloodline in the list of runners, which could be significant in a young event horse final.

The influential VDL Douglas also features as the sire of Maria Griffin’s Coco Douglas, another home-bred out of Leahnoir de la Vie (Pacino). Well related, the dam is a half-sister to the recent Balmoral Grand Prix winner ESI Star Struck (1.50m), while the maternal pedigree is full of top performers.

The next entrant Toberdane Bournville Star by Sligo Candy Boy out of Lux A Gonner (Lux Z), is a full brother to a former three-year-old jumping performance winner, Sligo Candy Girl and to the six-year-old Fortside Candy Crush (1.25m). This one is exhibited by stallion owner Padraig Howley, and bred by Padraig Arthur.

Strong challengers

The team at Kennedy Sport Horses won this class back in 2017, and look well represented by Lagans Cornet Lad, a gelding by Cornet Obolensky out of Lagans Pacino Girl (Pacino). Bred by Peter Rice, he was the winner of his qualifier in Ennis and, with Cruising featuring in the close pedigree, is closely related to the event horses Oxmountain Cruz (CCI4*) and Oxmountain Flyer (CCI3*). The second of the Kennedy runners is an unnamed gelding by their resident sire OBOS Quality out of KEC Alora (Aldatus Z).

A regular finalist in this class, James McEvoy presents the bay gelding KSH Society by the Irish Sport Horse sire Rehy High Society out of OBOS Showtime by OBOS Quality. Bred by James McDonald and sourced as a foal, his dam is a sibling to several top event horses including the former Le Lion d’Angers runner OBOS Cooley (CIC3*).

Finnian McLoughlin and Carla Esler’s home-bred entrant is Clabbystown Special Cruz, who as his name suggests is by I’m Special de Muze out of Little Miss Cruz (Cruising). Combining the best of continental and Irish breeding, the dam is a sibling to the useful Cruise Cavalier Clover (1.35m).

Coming in at number 10, Anne Maguire’s Derroon Aston is a home-bred gelding by Jaguar Mail out of the traditionally bred dam Liberty Hill (Clover Hill). The dam is sure to count among the oldest breeding mares by Clover Hill, while the second dam is by the thoroughbred Deep Run.

From deep in Co Wexford, Michael Moran travels with Hastag Vogue, a gelding bred by James Nash in Co Clare. Another to qualify at Top Flight, he is by Future Trend out of Silvanos Lift (Silvano).

HSF Cardento Royale features as the sire of John Murray’s Coverfield Lad. A qualifier from Kernans Equestrian Centre and bred by Brian Heneghan, he is out of the palomino dam Coverfield Lady by the Czech warmblood sire Vangelis.

Gemma Phelan heads up to the RDS for a busy few days, but before she begins her show jumping campaign, she will show her own Cushlas Stitchem, a gelding by the Holstein sire Vittorio out of the fashionably Selle Français-registered dam Une Ardent de Vie (Apache d’Adriers).

Traditionally bred

The sole traditionally bred covering sire CC Captain Cruise is responsible for Jessica Tighe’s Tavanaugh Zeus, a home-bred gelding who is the first foal out of the good young rider and amateur mare Lynskey Lass (Brilliant Lad).

Finally, Trade Horses Ltd entry is an unnamed gelding by Goldfever 1 (Hann) who, bred by George Hill, is out of the imported KWPN mare Fata by Cardento.